Oleson v. Kmart Corp.

175 F.R.D. 570, 39 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1215, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14117, 1997 WL 536319
District Court, D. Kansas·Decided August 28, 1997·No. No. 96-4066-SAC·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

NEWMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the court on Plaintiffs Second Motion to Compel, for Protective Order and for Sanctions. (Doc. 137.) The motion involves a second set of interrogatories, requests for production of documents and requests for admissions served upon defendant by plaintiff and deposition disputes. Defendant has filed a responsive memorandum.

Defendant argues that plaintiffs motion should be denied due to the failure of plaintiffs counsel to “confer” prior to filing the instant motion, as required by Fed. R.Civ.P. 37(a)(2)(B). While apparently correspondence was exchanged between counsel, counsel did not directly discuss the matters in dispute. Based upon the number and tenor of the discovery disputes in this case, it is unlikely that the issues before the court would have been resolved by additional efforts to confer between counsel. Consequently, the court will not deny plaintiffs motion on this ground and will proceed to the merits.

Interrogatory Nos. 1 through 6 and 8

In response to these interrogatories, defendant asserted blanket objections as to the relevancy, oppressiveness and burdensomeness of the interrogatories. The objecting party has the burden to substantiate its objections. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. v. West, 748 F.2d 540 (10th Cir.1984), cert. dismissed, 469 U.S. 1199, 105 S.Ct. 983, 83 L.Ed.2d 984 (1985). The litany of overly broad, burdensome, oppressive, and irrelevant will not alone constitute a successful objection to a discovery request. Employers Commercial Union Insurance Company of America, et al. v. Browning-Ferris Industries of Kansas City, Inc., et al, 1993 WL 210012 (D.Kan.1993); Roesberg v. JohnsManville Corp., 85 F.R.D. 292 (E.D.Pa.1980). When the discovery appears relevant “the burden is on the objecting party to show that the discovery is not relevant.” Smith v. MCI Telecommunications Corp., 137 F.R.D. 25, 27 (D.Kan.1991). The objecting party must specifically show how each discovery request is overly broad, burdensome or oppressive by submitting affidavits or offering evidence revealing the nature of the burden. Employ[572]*572ers Commercial Union Insurance Company of America, 1993 WL 210012 at *2.

Defendant, while objecting, stated that the requested facts could be obtained from various corporate witnesses whose depositions had been or would be scheduled. It now appears that the defendant did not intend to stand on the objections but simply to defer answering the discovery until the depositions of corporate employees allegedly having knowledge of the facts necessary to answer the interrogatories. Defendant has made no effort in response to the motion to compel to support its objections but rather has argued only the claimed failure to attempt to confer under Fed.R.Civ.P. 37(a)(2)(B). Defendant has failed to address the merits of the objections or to provide the court with any authority for its position, either by argument or by applicable law. Defendant has failed to carry its burden to establish a legal basis for the objections.

Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 33, the party submitting the interrogatory is entitled to an answer to the interrogatory unless the court enters a protective order in accordance with the provisions of Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(c). A party may not defer answering or refuse to answer an interrogatory by suggesting that the information may be forthcoming during a deposition to be taken at a later date. Such a response is a failure or refusal to answer the interrogatory. Defendant was required to answer the interrogatories notwithstanding the taking of the depositions referenced therein.

The interrogatories seek discoverable facts and should be answered. Defendant’s objections are overruled. The motion is granted as to the interrogatories. Defendant shall serve complete answers to Interrogatory Nos. 1 through 6 and 8 within 20 days of the date of the filing of this order.

Interrogatory Nos. 9 and 10

Defendant objects to these interrogatories on the grounds of relevancy, oppressiveness and burdensomeness. Defendant has failed to carry its burden by substantiating its objections. Notwithstanding, defendant has answered these interrogatories, therefore, the objections are stricken. The motion as to these interrogatories is moot.

Request for Production Nos. 1 through 10

Defendant has answered these requests and has offered to produce any responsive documents. The motion as to these requests is moot.

Request for Production Nos. 12, 32, 33, and 34

Defendant has objected to these requests on the grounds that the documents sought are irrelevant and production would be burdensome. Defendant has also included an additional proffer that available information will be produced at a deposition of one of defendant’s employees to be taken at a later date.

Defendant has failed to substantiate its objections, in any way. The offer to make information available at the time of a subsequent deposition does not comply with Fed. R.Civ.P. 34, which requires that the response to the request state that the production of the documents will be permitted as requested unless an objection is interposed, with the reasons for the objection stated. When partial objection is made, a party shall allow inspection as to the portions of the request to which there is no objection. Fed.R.Civ.P. 34.

A review of these requests reveals that they relate to discoverable documents. While in certain instances the requests would appear to be broad, this is not the basis of the objection. Further, while the defendant might well have supported an objection on the grounds of burdensomeness upon a proper showing, there has been no such showing. Therefore, the motion as to these requests is granted. Defendant shall produce all documents responsive to Request Nos. 12, 32, 33 and 34 within 20 days of the date of the filing of this order.

Request for Admission No. 9

The request requires defendant to admit “Exhibit A attached hereto is a true and correct copy of the leave of absence-worker’s compensation claim.” Defendant has denied the requested admission as permitted by Fed.R.Civ.P. 36. Under Fed.R.Civ.P. 37(c)(2), when a denial of a request for ad[573]*573mission is made, a party who proves the truth of the facts may thereafter apply for the reasonable expenses in making the proof, including attorney’s fees. Therefore, the court overrules plaintiffs motion as to this request.

Depositions

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Oleson v. Kmart Corp., 175 F.R.D. 570, 39 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1215, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14117, 1997 WL 536319 (D. Kan. 1997).

175 F.R.D. 570 (Oleson v. Kmart Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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